Loved Ones Left Behind
by VALandANA
Summary: Everyone lost someone in the battle. A mother; a father. A sister; a brother. A son; a daughter. A friend. Nobody was left unaffected. But what happened after?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: We do not Harry Potter - all credit goes to J.K. Rowling. We do, however, own anything that does not make this story a complete copy of the Harry Potter novels. If this story is seen on any other website, it wasn't put with our permission. Also, please notify the authors that we will come after them with our wands ready (:P). That being said, please respect the hard work that has gone into this story! Love, Val&Ana.**

From the entrance hall to the elevator, from the elevator to the floor, from the floor to the office, everything was, and usually is, a blur. It was the standard routine on-the-way-to-work path, and once you're used to it, there's not much to it. To be fair, apparating into a large crowd of people can be interesting enough, and being squashed in an elevator is uncomfortable at the least, and the second floor always has violently purple memos flying through the air and bustling witches and wizards, and the office, or the cubicle, is usually never the same the next day; most times, there was a new cutting of the Daily Prophet haphazardly thrown onto the desk, or a photo of a wanted witch or wizard tacked onto one of the crowded walls.

Along with all the wanted posters and maps with arrows drawn onto them, there were personal momentos. Family photos, reminders, hand-drawn pictures from the Auror's children. Most of the Aurors had children. It didn't make the job any easier. But that's what a lot of them worked for, to keep their families safe. There was always the possibility of not coming home at the end of the day, which hung over the aurors like a heavy, black cloud. The topic was mostly avoided, although when it was brought up, the whole level seemed to go silent.

Most of the time the Auror office was bright and cheery, with wizards poking each other in the backs as they passed their friend's desks. More than often, someone would bring in a wireless radio, and the office was filled with the bright sounds of hits by The Weird Sisters, the most popular being 'Do the Hippogriff'. Wizards bustled about, calling over cubicles to speak to their colleagues. Rustling papers accompanied the rare moments of quietness, before it all started up again. Because of all this, the office was hardly silent at any time. It would either give you a headache or put you in a really, really good mood.

How quickly that all could change.

Lord Voldemort had been a threat for years. The reality of the situation was true, but when he infiltrated the Ministry, it still came as a shock. The offices became silent as friend turned against friend. Rufus Scrimgeour's disappearance did nothing to better the already crumbling Ministry of Magic. Heads were kept pointed at the polished wooden floor, no one daring to speak. Family photos were hidden, anything personal kept locked away, for fear that the people they were working for would know exactly who to target. The members of the Ministry couldn't resign not without being noticed, working for a force they didn't morally believe in. Hushed whispers flew all around the Ministry - quickly stopping when anyone who was even possibly against Harry Potter walked by.

Pius Thicknesse stood in his office, staring at the small mirror on his desk. Staring back at him, blinking, was his face, but at the same time, wasn't. None of what his body did was his. A yellow haze covered his pupils; the only thing showing that his mind wasn't one with his body. He felt light, as if he were floating inside of his own subconscious, unable to control any part of his body. His body was the puppet, the Death Eater being the ventriloquist. He could see his movements, observe his actions, yet could do nothing. He was the tie between the Ministry of Magic and the Dark Lord; the tie that was never in full control - only enough that he could watch the government crumble to pieces, and only lift a finger against it.

In other words, the Ministry had been overrun. Pius Thicknesse was the new Minister for Magic. No one believed it at first, that he had been selected. The rumours surrounding the resignation of the former Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, as well as his sudden silence, were flattened under the suspicions of the hasty appointment of Thicknesse. Those who proclaimed their mistrusts a little too loudly at the Three Broomsticks had vanished; their offices swept clean the next morning. They were left bare as a silent reminder, and a warning, for anyone who had any thoughts of doing the same.

This was not the ministry that everyone was used to.


	2. Introductions

_**Introduction:**_

**Disclaimer: These characters are ours. The universe they belong in, however, is J.K. Rowling's. Any characters found on any site other than were not put up with our permission, and we will still come after them. We have worked hard to create characters that would fit into the Harry Potter world, and we ask that everybody respects that. Love, Val&Ana **

_**To Characters: **_

**Isaac Snape**

3 years younger than Harry Potter, Isaac is the nephew of Severus Snape. The son of Alexander Snape, the never mentioned, infamous brother of Severus. He is a Pure-Blood wizard having a Half-Blood father and a Pure-Blood mother. He was automatically put into the Slytherin house due to his heritage. His mother died when he was 7, and his father was kept in Azkaban. Isaac has black, fairly curly hair. Black eyes with a gold rim. He is pale and quite lanky. He has a long nose and high, sharp cheekbones. He is kind, always their to help and not at all self-absorbed. He is also fairly popular. He is found either helping others with their work or deep in a book. He is extremely ambitious, wanting to be an auror after his mother perished.

**Catherine Finnigan **

Catherine is the older sister of Seamus Finnigan. There's a two year difference between them: Catherine was at her second year in the Ministry of Magic in the Obliviator Headquarters when Thicknese took over. She was also a Gryffindor in Hogwarts. She earned four N.E.W.T.S. before leaving Hogwarts, and was accepted immediately as an Obliviator. Catherine stayed and worked in the ministry during the duration of Voldemort's reign. She was a member of the reinforcements that Charlie Weasley brought towards the end of the Battle of Hogwarts, and fought valiantly beside her brother.  
She has sandy hair, styled into a pixie cut, with bright blue eyes. She is tall and curvy, and full of energy, much like her younger brother. She is spotted at Kings Cross in 2017, waving goodbye to her children, Leon and James, and nieces and nephews from Seamus's side.

**Abigail Thomas **

Abigail Thomas is the younger sister, one year to be exact, of Dean Thomas. She was a fifth year when Voldemort took over, Severus Snape then being put as Headmaster. Abigail is a Half-Blood witch, being quite different to her brother. Unlike the rest of the Thomas household, Abigail was sorted into Hufflepuff. She had many of the common Hufflepuff characteristics, being kind, dedicated and patient. She is quiet, and enjoys keeping to herself. She is dedicated to her studies and also spends time helping others with theirs. Abigail has dark, long, curly hair that reaches just above her lower back, constantly tied in a ponytail. Unlike her brother, she has bright hazel eyes, a small nose, small lips and a sharp jawline. She is extremely sarcastic, but became quite a pessimist after her father died.

**Luke Longbottom**

Luke is Neville Longbottom's first cousin, on his dad's side. He was a sixth year when Hogwarts was under Severus Snape, as Headmaster; therefore one year younger than Neville. Luke, however, was sorted into Ravenclaw, unlike most of his family, who were all sorted into Gryffindor, because of his tendency to spend most of his free time buried in a book (remind you of anyone, Val?). His mother was a muggle-born witch, but as soon as he was born she died, and later his father was killed during his time as an Auror. After the death of his parents, he was raised with his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, like Neville.  
Luke has dark brown hair, with glasses framing his green eyes. He is tall and long limbed, and his fingers are long, suitable for a pianist, although he has never learnt. He is lean, quite lanky as a student, and a quiet, booky person. He mainly keeps himself to himself, and is seen at Kings Cross, 2017, standing quietly beside Neville's family, with his own daughter, Shauna.

_**To Authors: **_

**Val **

Ignore Ana, we all know I'm the cool-ass one in this duo. My name is Val. I'm a weird teenager, and I spend my time with Ana. She's the popular-ish one out of the two of us. I have light brown, curly/frizzy hair. Brown eyes and I had glasses but Ana said they looked terrible. I'm the shorter one out of the two of us, 5'8" to be exact. I'm what some people like to say….'anti-social'. Spending my days on tumblr as well as hiding away in books. Sorry. I'm extremely pale, or so I'm told. I love the colour black and am obsessed with bands such as Linkin Park, Bastille and My Chemical Romance. My characters from Loved Ones Left Behind are Isaac Snape and Abigail Thomas. I'll be honest, I would like to say I'm a Gryffindor but let's face it, I'm the awkward kid that jumps on the table when the spider is at the other end of the corridor. I'm a true Ravenclaw, I also spend my time obsessing of a variety of different fandoms, such as, Supernatural, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Marvel (!), Harry Potter, Mortal Instruments, Percy Jackson, The Big Bang Theory, Star Wars, Star Trek, Hannibal, Attack on Titan, Divergent and much, much more. That's pretty much my life in a nutshell! Thanks and see you on the other side.

**Ana **

To make it clear: I'm the cool-ass one with the glasses in the profile picture. Val is the dorky one. In real life, too. But in all seriousness, Val is great. Her glasses were so cool, they made her eyes look magnified x2000. But she doesn't wear them anymore. She doesn't need to. Lucky girl.  
My name is Ana. I am somewhere between thirteen and twenty-five years old. I have light brown/blonde hair, straight hair, green eyes and GLASSES. I'm tall, like 173cm tall, which I guess is 5'9", with tanned-ish-pale-ish skin. I like blue. And green.  
My characters for Loved Ones Left Behind, the ones I created, are Catherine Finnigan and Luke Longbottom. And I designed the cover. Woooooo!  
I am a Gryffindor at heart, as well as a part of so many fandoms, such as Marvel, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Supernatural, Percy Jackson, The Big Bang Theory, Mortal Instruments, Hunger Games, Star Trek, Star Wars, Divergent, Merlin, Narnia etc. I've probably forgotten so many, but anyway. That's pretty much it, though. Alright! Thank you and good night!


	3. Chapter One

_**Chapter One:**_

**Disclaimer: We do not Harry Potter - all credit goes to J.K. Rowling. We do, however, own anything that does not make this story a complete copy of the Harry Potter novels. If this story is seen on any other website, it wasn't put with our permission. Also, please notify the authors that we will come after them with our wands ready (:P). That being said, please respect the hard work that has gone into this story! Love, Val&Ana.**

Isaac Snape walked into the Great Hall, taking in his surroundings. Wounded witches and wizards were scattered around the large room, some injured and others tending to the injured. The wounded sat on white cloths, moaning in pain as their injuries were tended to. The healers were broken up around the room, helping large numbers of combatants at once. The dead lay in the back corner of the room, their relatives stood around them, mourning. The sobs filled the dusty air, the cries reaching a shrill pitch; the only sound in the otherwise silent hall. Ash still rained down on the witches and wizards; ash as a result of the burning fires that Voldemort's supporters had set to the Great Hall.

He looked over towards the back of the hall, noticing one of the figures that lay motionless on the concrete floor. Walking closer towards the wizard, his hands began to shake, every step he took feeling heavier than the last. As he neared the pale body, the back of his throat stung as salty tears filled his eyes. Kneeling down on the ground, he stared down at the body of Severus Snape. Puncture wounds decorated his neck, coated in a layer of dark blood. His hair, still oily in death, was pushed back from his face revealing his sunken features. His skin was a pale yellow colour, a mixture of the venom and lack of blood. As Isaac neared his uncle, he could see the violent wounds the snake had left. Bites covered his neck in a variety of different places, some reaching his cheeks. Now infected, the slits were a dark shade of red, covered in a yellow pus. His mouth was slightly ajar, a sheet of blood still sticking to the corners of his lips. Isaac reached out to grab his uncle's hand, the difference between their body temperatures making him shiver. Staring down at his pale face, Isaac noticed the crusty remain of tears still stuck to the corners of his eyes. Inhaling sharply, he stared at Severus Snape's corpse, tears sliding down his cheeks. Letting his breath go in a short puff, he pushed his uncle's hair back from his face, making sure that the few stragglers would be clear.

There was nobody else near him. Nobody to mourn him. Nobody but Isaac.

* * *

"What are we going to do with the body?"

Kingsley Shacklebolt sat at his chair, a hand on his bald head. Minerva McGonagall sat on a chair in front; her injuries from the Battle of Hogwarts had not yet completely left her, bruises decorating her face and arms. She let out an exasperated sigh, putting her face in her hands.

"We will _not _be burying him with those he slaughtered," Molly Weasley stood by the door, her arms crossed. Arthur stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. Several other members from the Order of the Phoenix were scattered around the elegant office in the Ministry of Magic, which currently belonged to Kingsley, as his position of temporary Minister.

"No, of course not," Kingsley looked up, taking his hand off of his head, "It was never discussed - not even considered. But then -"

"He doesn't even deserve to be buried." Ron Weasley stood against the opposite wall to his parents, his arm around Hermione Granger's shoulders. His face, like the rest of his family, was etched with the recent pain of grief.

His eyes flicked towards George, a lone figure, odd without his counterpart. Fred's death had hit him the hardest; a blow that left him struggling to complete everyday tasks. Currently, his eyes were trained on the floor, as he sagged against the bookshelf.

"He was still human," Hermione faltered to a stop, suddenly unsure of herself. Everyone's heads swivelled towards her as she looked down quickly. Ron's arm tightened around her shoulders. "I meant-" she began, and then stopped, what she was supposed to say suddenly unclear. Biting her lip nervously, a habit she had later developed, Hermione looked over at Harry who loosely sat on an armchair in the corner. His fingers were drumming lightly on the soft material, the nails chewed to the stumps.

"He was born human," Harry said hesitantly, "But to what extent? I don't know. He chose to change, to become what he was".

"Well said," Bill was standing near his parents, Fleur hovering anxiously beside him, "But, the things he did, innocent people he murdered. That's inexcusable"

"For heaven's sake - what do we do with the body?" Aberforth Dumbledore burst out angrily, "We can't just leave it somewhere for it to decompose -"

"Aberforth," Kingsley barked, "Rest assured, we will deal with the body as fits best. You are not the only one that seeks vengeance."

"Vengeance?" Aberforth spat, "He had his men murder my brother."

"At least you weren't close to him," George muttered darkly. Aberforth's harsh expression eased slightly.

"My apologies, boy. I didn't mean to take a jab -"

"But you did. That's the whole point," George trained his eyes on the floor, his eyes burning. George never liked to show his emotions, his hurt facade masking his inexplicable loathing. Towards the situation, towards the people who caused this, towards the world.

"Professor?" Ron asked, looking over at Professor McGonagall, distress and anger marking his exhausted features. "Care to intervene?"

"I think we should burn it," Ginny said quietly. Fresh tears had made tracks on her grimy face, spilling from around her eyes, down past her jaw, to the collar of her shirt. "Let the world have his - his body. So we don't have to deal with it."

The room was silent. Nobody moved, nobody made a sound, they felt as if they were holding their breath.

"Burn it? Like - like a cremation?" McGonagall said hesitantly. Ginny nodded quickly, casting her eyes to the dusty rug.

"Does he even deserve that much?" George muttered darkly. Harry looked up.

"Yes. He was human, like any one of us here."

At that, the room exploded. Arthur Weasley pushed himself off the wall and turned to Harry, yelling about everyone he's killed, including his son. His wife tried desperately to calm him, having to shout herself to be heard over him. George started yelling at both his parents, tears spilling down his cheeks, his voice heavy with grief. Ginny screamed at him to stop, beating at his back with her fists. Bill detached himself from Fleur's side and moved over to Ginny, gently prying her from George and holding her against his chest. Ron turned to the only other Weasley in the room, Charlie, and met his eyes, his jaw clenched. Charlie shook his head sadly, dropping his gaze.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Hermione's voice was only audible in Ron's ear.

"We can't," Ron replied grimly, "Dad is angry and upset. Everyone is. There's -"

"Quiet!" Kingsley shouted over the group of angry witches and wizards, "Arthur, if you please! We are in the middle of a serious conversation, there is enough time for you to grieve later! I am sorry for the death of your son, your brother, George, I truly am sorry, but you cannot let your grief cloud your judgement. A decision must be made - with or without you. If we must, we will need you to leave."

At that, Arthur, and his family, went quiet.

"You're right," he seemed to age in those few seconds, "There is. Of course there is. I - I'm sorry."

George let go of the front of his father's robes, stepping back, his face wet with tears. He made no effort to wipe the moisture off his cheeks, and resumed his position at the bookshelf. Bill let go of Ginny, and went to stand beside his wife.

"Back to important matters," McGonagall straightened her robes, her face flushed, "Not that the death of Fred isn't important - I apologise, Arthur. Mr Po - Harry, if you could explain yourself -"

"He was human. Neither his upbringing, nor his ancestry was his fault. He was conceived due to a love potion. That wasn't his fault. He was abandoned in that orphanage. That, also wasn't his fault. He just - he just didn't know what to do with himself from there. He was a villian. He did terrible things, inexcusable things. I am not defending him - I would never defend Voldemort. He was responsible for the death of my parents, and responsible for so much more -"

"All those against the cremation?" Kingsley interjected.

The room was silent; no one made a move. Kingsley nodded grimly.

"Alright then," he pushed back his chair, standing up. His midnight-blue robes glittered in the flickering torchlight. "Let's get to work."


End file.
